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Beth Diana Smith didn’t plan on becoming a designer. She was thriving in corporate finance when a different project caught her attention: her own home. By her late twenties, she realized the space she’d bought in her early twenties no longer fit, style-wise or soul-wise, and redesigning it lit a spark.
What started as a side project grew into a love affair with interiors, pulling her out of balance sheets and into blueprints.
Her process isn’t about quick fixes or surface-level beauty. It’s about layering with intention, building depth through textures, materials, and furnishings. She traces this back to childhood, when she noticed how spaces carried moods even if they weren’t technically “well-designed.” “I’m always thinking about how those elements stack and interact,” she says. “That’s where the emotion lives.”
That instinct came into play in Montclair, a project set in her hometown. For her, it wasn’t just about restoring a historic property; it was about translating a love story into four walls. Her clients, a young couple then dating and now married, had just purchased the house and wanted the renovations finished before moving in.
She remembers that first walkthrough clearly: solid bones, undeniable potential, and a kind of nostalgia only a hometown project can bring. “There was something familiar about it,” she says. “It felt like stepping into a memory.”
That sense of history shaped her approach, but so did the couple themselves. Their style was distinct from her own, which meant stretching beyond her comfort zone.
Florals, something she had long avoided thanks to memories of her mother’s oversized brown sofa, became part of the story. “The client loved them,” she says, “and together we found ways to use florals that felt modern and fresh, but still paid homage to the home’s historic charm.”
Kelly Marshall
At her core, she believes a designer is less dictator and more guide. “I may present options I love, but ultimately the client’s vision leads the way,” she says. That doesn’t mean playing safe. It means having thoughtful backups, knowing when to push, and when to step back. “The most important thing is to never take anything personally and always lead with honesty.”
Kelly Marshall
In Montclair, that philosophy translated into decisions that balance beauty with longevity. In the kitchen, muted blue cabinetry, brass hardware, and patterned tile set the tone for a space that feels classic without being stuck in the past.
The cabinetry does the heavy lifting, giving the space a timeless anchor while smaller details can evolve as life does. “The goal was to create something timeless and beautiful, and something that could evolve with them as their family grew,” she explains.
Kelly Marshall
That same intentionality carried into the living room. A sculptural green sofa sits across from a rust velvet chair, two strong statements that find harmony rather than competing for attention. What makes it work is the echo: tone and scale speaking to each other so contrast feels balanced, not chaotic.
Kelly Marshall
Even the bathroom became part of this dialogue. Glossy green tile and brass fixtures elevate a functional space into something memorable. It’s a reminder that small rooms don’t have to play small. One daring choice, whether a tile color, a mirror shape, or a hardware finish, can turn utility into delight.
Kelly Marshall
Looking back, she calls the project a “fun creative stretch.” The client’s style nudged her toward choices she might not have made on her own. Instead of resisting, she leaned in and discovered new ways to tell a story through design.
Kelly Marshall
The house became a milestone, not because it was perfect or easy, but because it asked her to grow right alongside her clients. For them, it marked the beginning of a new chapter together. For her, it was a reminder of what her career had already taught her: the most beautiful spaces are the ones that evolve, layer by layer, with the lives and stories unfolding inside them.
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